TMNT AU
by BML Hillen-Keene
Summary: Any idea's for a title, let me know. Full summary inside. After an Attack on the lair, Raph and Donnie are left to fend for themselves in the sewers. I own nothing, though I wish I did.
1. Chapter 1

**TMNT AU**

_A/N: I'm spending far too much time in the TMNT universe. I can't switch it off! Anyway, a complete AU. I just wanted to play around with them for a while. Basically all you need to know is;_

_Part 1: after an attack on the lair by Mousers when the Turtles are 8, they are separated from Splinter and each other. Splinter later finds Leo and Mikey, but despite constant searching he cannot discover Raph and Donnie and presumes them to be dead. _

_Part 2: April, little over a year later, upon stumbling over some video footage caught by the Mousers, goes into the Sewers and by pure luck, comes across Raph and Donnie and takes them home with her, seeing them as the children they are, rather than the mutants they appear to be. So while Master Splinter continues to train Leo and Mikey in the ways of nijitsu, and enforcing the rules about no contact with humans, Raph and Donnie are being brought up by April and her boyfriend Casey. _

_Part 3: Now, at the age of sixteen, a freak accident has forced Leo and Mikey to the surface world, where they end up in a fight with the Purple Dragons, and are helping out none other than their long lost brothers. But they are about to be drawn into a web of evil from which escape is highly improbable._

_However, I will tell the story from the beginning. It will mostly be Raphael and Donatello as they are my favourites, and I really want to look into the idea of April and Casey raising them, would they turn out any different to what they already are? Kind of inspired by the way April occasionally mentions that she feels like a mother to the turtles in the 2003 series._

_Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own._

_Part 1: The beginning_

1.

It began and ended faster than any of them could have thought possible. One minute they were enjoying a somewhat quiet game of Cluedo, some of the pieces were missing, and they didn't have all the cards, but they managed fairly well. No one had expected the ground to start shaking, or the walls to crack and explode towards them. There was barely time to call out to each other before the ceiling collapsed, cutting the four children off from their father, who had been sitting at the other end of the room.

There wasn't even time to dash forward to call out for their father before they were faced by six strange looking things; silver and shinny, that opened huge looking jaws and snapped them with a ferocity that frightened the four children. Not knowing what else to do the four turned and ran.

"They're following us!" one of the children yelled breathlessly, a purple bandana differentiating him from his brothers.

"Leo!" Another yelled; this one with a red bandana, being forced to stop as more of those strange things appeared in front of them, yanking his purple banded brother out of the way.

Leo, the blue banded one, in the middle of pushing the fourth and orange banded one to the side. The chomping silver things invaded the gap between them, cutting them off from each other on either side of the tunnel that had been running down. Spotting an opening a few feet away on his brother's side of the tunnel he pointed to it widely, moving back away from the silver things, keeping his orange banded brother behind him as he did. "Raph, there's a tunnel just a little way that way! Take Donnie and go. Me and Mikey will go back this way."

"But--" the one called Donnie began, getting cut off as Raph grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

"Be careful Leo!" Raph yelled as he ran, swerving past the silver monsters.

"You too!" Leo yelled back, grabbing Mikey in much the same way Raph and Donnie and hightailing it back down the tunnel. The huge crash and rumbling they heard moments later did not register as something important, not right then. But it would. Very soon it would.

They ran until they were unable to run anymore, all their attempts at shaking the metal monsters that followed them proved impossible. They collapsed in a small offshoot to the tunnel they had been running to. Clinging to each other as they watched the chomping jaws descend upon them, squeezing their eyes shut and wishing their father was there.

SMASH

CLACK

CRASH

CLANG

WHOOSH

BOOM

"My sons?"

Eye's opened, and two little turtles looked in awe at the broken monsters that littered the Sewer floor at their father's feet. Without a word the two scrambled to their feet and threw themselves at their father, fingers gripping his fur and clothes tightly as their fear bubbled over. They stood there for as long as they could, soaking up their fathers calming presence, until finally their father pulled back and looked at them, worry in his eyes.

"My son's, where are your brothers?" he asked.

It took Leo a moment to regain himself completely, but when he did he straightened up and looked at his father. "We got split up. But I know what way they went, if we go back to the main tunnel."

Their father nodded, and turned to begin the short trek to the main tunnel, an easy task when he knew short cuts his sons did not. Reaching it, and keeping a wary eye out for the return of the metal monsters he allowed Leo to lead them to where they had been split up. Finally Leo stopped, staring up at the tunnel he was sure he had seen his brothers turn into, blocked now with bricks and dirt.

"Master Splinter…" he whispered.

"Leonardo, you are sure?" One look at the young turtles face was answer enough.

"Are they ok?" Mikey asked, eyes wide. And worried.

Splinter did not know what to answer. "They are fine." he said, putting a clawed hand on his sons head, hoping he was not lying. "Come, we will find a safe place for you two to hide and I will go and search for your brothers."

X

Elsewhere in the sewers Raph shoved Donnie into a small hole in the wall, blocking the entrance with his own body and looking around desperately for something that would help his stave off the monsters. While running he had finally recalled some of Master Splinter's lessons, they needed to find a small, defendable place and fight until either they won or those chasing them went away. Pushing Donnie in to safety was almost second nature, though normally it was Mikey in Donnie's place if he was supposed to protect anyone. Protecting his brother's was paramount in Raph's mind; that was his job; Leo's was to find a way out of the situation.

However, seeing as Leo wasn't here, it seemed Raph would have to do that too.

"Raph?" Donnie said, pushing his brother's shell, not that it helped any. "Raph, I can fight too."

Raph ignored him, he knew Donnie could fight, he had seen him fight, but fighting against his brothers was completely different to fighting against these monsters. "Just shut up Donnie and stay there!" Raph barked, readying himself for the attack from the six monsters blocking him in. But they just stood there, watching him with their blinking eyes, like they were waiting for something. Then, unexpectedly they all turned as one and moved off, disappearing from Raph's sight very quickly. Raph stared after them, confused, until the panicky tone of his little brother's voice broke through and he moved aside.

Donnie tumbled out and landed in a heap beside him, scrambling up he looked at Raph, checking visually for any injuries. "What happened?" he asked, looking round.

Raph shrugged. "I don't know. They just left. Come on, lets get back and make sure Leo and Mikey are ok." he reached out and grabbed Donnie's hand again, telling himself that it was because his brother looked scared, and not because he himself needed the contact. "Come on." he tugged Donnie closer and started walking back the way they had come.

Three hours later both turtles were exhausted, and were no closer to finding their way back to the tunnel they had taken off the main one. Which left them hopelessly lost in a myriad of sewer tunnels, and it was getting a little colder, signifying night had fallen, or so Master Splinter had informed them once.

"Do you suppose they're ok?" Donnie whispered quietly behind Raph, only keeping pace with him because of the tight grip his brother still had on his hand.

"They're fine." Raph said with certainty.

"Will they be looking for us?" this question was even quieter.

Raph stopped dead at that thought, before roughly shaking himself, and by default Donnie's arm before saying, in his toughest voice. "Of course they are!"

They moved on in silence.

"Raphie, I'm tired." Donnie said finally.

Raph knew he meant it. Donnie wasn't the type to say things like that unless he meant them. So Raph paused and looked round for somewhere they could rest, out of the sloshing water they were currently wading through. Finally he spotted a small hole in the wall, a few feet from the water, and it looked big enough to fit both of them. "Just a little further Donnie." he said, tugging him towards the hole.

A great deal of scrabbling later and they were huddled together in the small hole, hidden in the shadows. Without consciously thinking about it, Raph had manoeuvred himself round so that he was sideways on to the entrance of their little hideaway, with Donnie tucked in close to his other side. He tried not to think too much about Master Splinter or his other brothers. He wanted to believe they were out there, alive, well, and searching for them. So he left it at that. By tomorrow Master Splinter would have found them, they would be reunited with Leo and Mikey and everything would be just fine.

Finally the exhausted red banded turtle fell asleep.

2.

It had been weeks, weeks of fruitless searching, but yet Splinter did not slow in his search, he could not. His sons were out there, somewhere. He refused to believe they were dead, but had found no evidence of their being among the living either. But then, the sewer system of the city was huge, and he did not know every tunnel in it. It was possible they had just gotten horribly lost and that he would still find them.

Visions of his son's, starving, hurt, or at the mercy of humans tormented his dreams. But still he searched, hoping he would find them. Every time he returned empty handed, he could see it like a blow on Leonardo and Michelangelo's faces, and that spurred him on even more. But it had been weeks. Did his sons know enough to survive for weeks? Would he truly find them alive, or would he merely find an empty shell?

It was disheartening, but he could not give up hope.

And so he continued to search.

X

The sound in the alley could easily be attributed to rats, lot's of rats, so people tended to avoid going into it. And it was a good thing they did, or they would have gotten a fright. Inside a dustbin, Raph was foraging for something to eat. The smell was horrible, but he and Donnie needed to eat, and this was the only place they could come. It was the closest bin to the little place they had made a nest for themselves.

Donnie was on watch, standing on the ground beside the manhole that they had managed to pry open halfway. Raph had tried to go by himself, not wanting to take Donnie up to the dangerous upper world, wary of Splinters words on it, but Donnie had refused to let him out of his sight. He had snuck off once while Donnie was sleeping, but when he had returned he had discovered Donnie having a panic attack. It had taken a long time before his brother had let him go; even going so far as to not sleep for fear Raph would disappear.

Raph knew the fact that Master Splinter had not yet found them, even after so long, scarred Donnie, he had nightmares about the metal monsters killing Splinter and their brothers. Raph didn't want to believe these dreams, but he had been so sure that Master Splinter would have found them long before now.

Pushing those depressing thoughts aside Raph continued is quest, putting anything that looked edible in the little bag he had found two weeks ago in the same bin. Stuffing a few electrical things in there as well for Donnie, along with a tattered motorcycle magazine, he was finally done. If they were careful they could last a few days without having to venture out again. He climbed carefully out of the dumpster and dropped to the ground.

"Let's go Donnie." he whispered.

Donnie nodded and slipped back down the manhole, Raph following immediately.

It wasn't a long walk back to their little nesting pace, but it did involve squeezing through some tight spots that would have made it impossible for any human to follow. It was small, the floor covered in old newspapers, a single ratty blanket crumpled in the corner, a few odds and ends scattered about, an old couch cushion, frayed at the edges, but it was comfortable enough for them both to sit on. There was a small scattering of electrical things in one corner, and a small screwdriver, a pile of magazines in another. It wasn't home, and they didn't think of it as such. It was just temporary, until Master Splinter came to get them, even though neither really, in their heart of hearts, thought that was going to happen.

Raph set the bag down and started pulling out the things he had collected. A screwdriver with a broken handle, his motorcycle magazine, a few random electronic things he couldn't place, and then came the food. Half a loaf of bread, a little mouldy, but nothing that couldn't be picked off. Some apples, bruised, but otherwise ok, and a box of stale cookies. He was glad that humans were such wasters. This was a veritable feast, and it would last them a few days, which was all that mattered.

Donnie took the electrical stuff and shuffled it all into his little corner. Raph tidied the food into the little box they had stumbled upon and closed the lid, leaving out an apple and a slice of bread to share between them. E made his way to the cushion and sat, pulling his magazine over to him and opening it. Donnie joined him soon afterwards, carrying the blanket, that he arranged over the both of them. He took the bread and started to pick the mould off slowly, working up to asking something it Raph wasn't mistaken, the red banded turtle took a small bite of the apple.

"Raphie?"

"Yeah?" Raph answered, holding out the apple for Donnie to take, which he did, taking a bite before handing it back and continuing to pick the mould off the bread.

"Do you suppose they're--"

"No!" Raph stated firmly.

"You don't even know what I'm going to say!" Donnie accused.

"They're not dead Donnie. They're not!" Raph told him angrily.

Usually this was the point Donnie backed down and didn't ask anymore questions, but not tonight. "How do you _know_ Raph? It's been weeks! They should have found us by now. We've even been staying in the same place, to make it easier, and they haven't come! What if the Monsters got them?"

Taking an angry bite of the apple Raph surged to his feet, tossing the blanket over Donnie and dumping his magazine on the floor, carelessly throwing the apple at Donnie, who clumsily caught it, his eyes completely focused on Raph. It didn't take much for him to know exactly what was going on. Before Raph could jump down from their little nest he found himself pulled back, Donnie's arms wrapped firmly round his arm.

"Don't go, I'm sorry. Please don't go." Donnie whispered quickly, his breath leaving a wet feeling on Raph's skin.

Raph pried Donnie off his arm, his anger softening immediately seeing the scared look in his little brothers eyes. "I was just going outside for a minute Donnie. Just outside. I wasn't leaving."

Donnie coloured darkly and looked away. "I knew that…" he said, though his tone was less that convincing. "I know you wouldn't just… I know that. You promised, and you don't break your promises. But…" he trailed off. "I know you wouldn't leave, but I'm just so… frightened… that if you go even outside you'll disappear and I'll be by myself, and I don't know how to do anything by myself. And I don't know if Master Splinter is out there looking for us, or if he's dead, or if he think's we're dead. I mean, what if he found Leo and Mikey dead and then thought we must be too? What if--"

Raph put a finger on Donnie's mouth, silencing him. "What if Master Splinter found them and they're all out there looking for us?" he asked softly.

Donnie let out a shuddering sigh before wrapping his arms around Raph again, and Rap hugged him back, needing it just as much. He had known Donnie's dreams were bad, but he hadn't realised just how bad. He himself still held fast to the belief that Master Splinter would come for them.

It was a belief that would soon wane as time continued to pass.

3.

Leo and Mikey sparred as Master Splinter watched them. They had found a huge place to call home, with more than enough room to train. But both felt something lacking, a huge hole the shape of their brother's. They both knew that Master Splinter still searched, they sometimes helped. Splinter always disguised it as stealth training, or a lesson in finding their way around, but both of them knew what it really was. A small effort to find the missing part of their family.

And it would be missed forever. But it was over two months since the attack by the metal monsters, and there had been nothing on their brothers. Nothing.

Master Splinter had begun their training with weapons, not wanting to leave them defenceless should they be attacked again. Leo held twin swords, while Mikey had Nun chucks; they had both seen the Sai and Bo Master Splinter had kept separate. They were there for when they found their brothers. And they would find them. They had to.

Mikey didn't joke around anymore, he barely laughed, and when he did, it was usually ripped out of him like a burst of sunshine on a rainy day, but was always quickly swallowed up. Leo knew the feeling, sometimes he found himself enjoying something, actually enjoying it, but then it would come crashing back on him that Raph and Donnie were not here. He shouldn't feel happy or content, he shouldn't ever enjoy himself.

Not when he didn't know what had become of his brothers. Master Splinter had stopped saying they were alive anymore, like he didn't want to give them hope. Leo often felt that he had aged years, even though he was still eight years old, and he hated to see that Mikey seemed to feel the same way. He missed the old Mikey, the one that would laugh at anything, and play silly jokes, and paint or draw everything in brought colours.

He missed Raph, and the way he was always teasing Mikey, or getting annoyed when Leo told him to do something. He missed the way he used to come up with the best adventures to go on that almost broke the rules but didn't. He missed Donnie, and the way he could always be found muttering over an old radio Master Splinter brought back for him, or coming up with the best ways to do something on one of Raph's adventure ideas. Or the way he would help him get back at Mikey for some prank he'd pulled.

He hadn't realised that Splinter had ended the sparring session and was now gazing at him sadly, or that Mikey was watching him, concerned.

"Leonardo, Michelangelo, come here." Splinter held out his arms, and the two turtles went to him, gratefully soaking up his warmth, and the security his embrace gave them. "My son's. We have suffered a great blow. I will not lie to you and tell you that we will find your brothers. Because truly I do not know if we will. But know this, wherever they are, I am sure they would like you to be yourselves. You are allowed to be happy my sons. So long as you never forget them, you are allowed to move on."

Leo and Mikey shared a pained look, was Master Splinter trying to tell them he believed Raph and Donnie were dead? Or that they would never be found?

They stayed there, held in their father's arms, and wondering just what Raph and Donnie were doing right now.

X

They had been forced to move a week ago. Some humans had come down to check the pipes, so to ensure they weren't found they had packed up and left the little nest they had made and wandered through the darkened sewer tunnels until they had found a suitable hole to stay in. It would be winter soon, so they had chosen somewhere small, that they could make warm and cosy during the cold months. They had found a torch to use at night, but unfortunately most of the batteries they had come across were used up, those they had that still worked were few, so they used them as sparingly as they could.

Food had been scarce lately; Raph had yet to find a suitable place that had food they could use. There was one good thing about everything getting colder, food kept for longer, not a lot longer, but long enough.

Don had managed to fix a small radio, but without anything to plug the wire into, and their batteries too precious to use, he had fiddled about with it while Raph pursued the latest sports magazine he had found, until finally he had managed to rig it so that all they needed to do was wind it up. It didn't last very long, and they seemed to spend more time winding it up than anything else, but it provided some entertainment.

Sometime's they practiced some of the things Master Splinter had taught them, But Donnie usually dropped out partway through and returned to his inventions. Raph didn't give him a hard time, Donnie had always been the one who didn't enjoy the training Master Splinter had them do, and Raph could see it hurt his brother to do the practices, because it reminded him too much of what their life had once been. So Raph didn't give him a hard time. Teased him about all the little things he was building, sure, but he had reigned in more of his natural reactions (which was normally to yell and stomp about), because Donnie got genuinely upset when he did, and nothing he could ever say or do would convince his brother that it wasn't anything to do with him personally, it was just Raph needing to let off steam.

Instead he let his frustrations out while he practiced, making up a few moves of his own as he did so. Splinter would be proud of him for finally being able to control his temper. That thought normally brought on a rather vicious punch followed by a kick, because what frustrated him the most was the fact that their family had still not found them. Even after so long.

"Raphie."

He didn't stop his movements, but he did grunt for his brother to continue.

"We're out of food again." Donnie told him quietly.

Raph knew this of course, he had checked their little food box earlier to find it empty. But they had only gone topside a day ago, he knew it was dangerous for them to keep going up there, Master Splinter had drummed that into their heads often enough. Only now it didn't seem like such a joke. Now that he actually had to look after one of his brothers, and was forced to go topside. He was always tense when they went up there, always worrying that something could happen to Donnie, or worse, something could happen to him and Donnie would be left alone. He wasn't like Master Splinter or Leo, he didn't really know how to look after his brother, he had always, as a child is wont to do, just assumed his father and older brother would always be there, that he could leave all this stuff up to them and focus on protecting Donnie and Mikey, and Leo if he needed it.

Blowing out a frustrated sigh he dropped out of his stance and turned to look at Donnie, who was swinging his legs over the edge of the nest they had made themselves, looking at him expectantly.

"We can't go out again, can we?" Donnie questioned wisely.

Raph shook his head, choosing to stay silent rather than risk hurting his brother's feelings by snapping.

Donnie sighed. "Raphie, what are we going to do? I mean, it's almost winter. We're going to need to start getting clothes and that to keep us warm, or some more blankets, and enough food to last us a long time."

It wasn't often Donnie became so practical, to tell the truth he had never quite figured out how to act around Raph, and his own confusion, and sadness surrounding the whole situation they found themselves in brought his more insecure nature to the forefront. He tried hard not to get Raph angry at him, so he had tried hard to curb his tendency to point out things like when they had no food left, because Raph always knew and he could tell got annoyed when it was mentioned. Like he thought he was failing somehow. But Donnie was too afraid to say anything, in case it made Raph angry at him.

But he was worried now, because winter was coming in, and it would be a cold one, the radio said so. And as much as he wanted Master Splinter, Leo and Mikey to just walk round the corner and take them home, he knew it was impracticable to think like that. And Donnie was not an impractical turtle.

"I know." Raph said, frowning.

There was silence between them, because neither knew what to say in the face of the overwhelming possibility that they might be here over winter.

4.

Christmas had not been celebrated this year, though Splinter had always, in some fashion or other, managed in the years previous to do something special for his sons. But none of them had truly felt like celebrating. It was too cold, and that coupled with the loss of their brothers had left his two sons' depressed and unwilling to play along this year.

It was also Christmas that forced Splinter to admit to himself that his other two sons most likely hadn't survived; the weather was far too cold for two young turtles to survive alone.

It was the day Splinter's heart broke.

X

Donnie sat, huddled in a hoodie jumper Raph had managed to find for him. It was an adult sized one, so it was easy to pull his entire body inside it to keep warm. His brown eyes rested on Raph, who was tossing and turning under the blankets, his body finally warming up again. I had worried Donnie horribly when his brother had suddenly collapsed after their last scavenging mission topside. He had known Raph wasn't looking after himself properly. He had tried to give him back some of the warmer things he had found, but Raph had refused to take them, saying he was fine.

This wasn't fine!

Seeing his brother collapse had been like one of his nightmares coming true. But before he had given into the side of him that wanted to cry hysterically and shake Raph's body until he woke up, he had stopped himself, and realised that Raph was just really, really cold. And the fact that they were cold blooded (he had read in a book), that meant his body was supposed to shut down in winter. He assumed that because they were mutants they didn't go into long hibernations, because none of them ever had in previous years.

All he had to do was get Raph warmed up and he would be fine.

It had taken all his strength to pull Raph into their little nest and set him down comfortably, before loading every single blanket or scrap of cloth he could over his brother's body and perching beside him, watching him worriedly, wrapped only in the Hoodie for warmth.

He was immensely relieved when Raph cracked open an eye and looked at him. "Don…nie?" he croaked out.

Donnie smiled as much as he could. "Hey Raph."

"Wha… wha' happened?"

"You collapsed, because you let yourself get too cold." Donnie told him accusingly.

Raph accepted the accusation with tired good grace, knowing it was true. He was too tired to argue the point just to keep his image in tact.

Donnie took full advantage of his biog brother's acquiescent state. "You've got to stop doing things like this! I'm big enough to look after myself Raph; you don't have to do everything for me. You don't have to give me the warmer clothes and blankets, or give me more food. It's not fair!"

Raph just looked at him. "You're my little brother Donnie, that means I can do what I want." he whispered.

"Only when it comes to playing games, or over who get the best toy! Not over stuff like this!" Donnie ranted. "You collapsed Raph! You could have died! What if this hadn't worked? What if you'd never woken up? I… I don't know what to do… I mean, I wouldn't even know where to begin if you weren't here. I'd know what I needed, but I wouldn't know where to find anything, and if it was just me it would be really really lonely. And I miss Master Splinter, Leo and Mikey so much. But they're not here, and you are, so you can't go doing things like that!"

Though he was sure some of the shaking was because Donnie was angry with him, he knew the rest was because he was cold. Raph shifted under the blankets until he had made enough room to fit his brother in. "Donnie, come on." the invitation was obvious.

Even though he was angry, though now it was perhaps more upset than angry, Donnie crawled under the mass of blankets and into his brothers arms, sniffling a little, and was soon asleep against Raph, his body a warm weight on Raph's arm. Raph followed him soon after and they were soon both snoring quietly under the mass of blankets.

5.

It had been over a year now, and Splinter had watched as Leonardo and Michelangelo had realised that they were still allowed to have fun and play without their brother's there. Oh, there was still periods of sadness, but it warmed Splinter's heart to see his two surviving sons playing together, laughing. He even allowed them to play one or two pranks on him in the spirit of healing.

At the moment they were chasing each other around the large space in the centre of the Lair, swinging pillows like weapons, collecting points for what part of the body they managed to hit, doubling it if they managed to actually knock the other over. They were laughing as they ran, taunting each other happily.

It had been a dark year, but now things were beginning to look up, even if just a little.

X

Donnie was bouncing just out of reach of Raph, grinning wildly as his brother dashed towards him, only to miss him by an inch as he bounced away again. It wasn't often they played, normally staying in and around the nest. But sometimes Raph said it would be ok to go a little way away and play a game of tag. Laughter rang out as Raph missed him again. Turning he darted to the next corned and turned it. Raph hot on his trail.

Neither had any idea of what that day would bring them.

That their whole lives would change once again in an instant.

For that moment they were just two brother's playing a game.

_Ahem. Well, part one is complete. This took me four days to write, so don't expect the next part up real quickly. Please review. I'd really like to know what you think._


	2. Chapter 2

_Back again. Now we move on the to part of the story I've been looking forward to. Raphie and Donnie get to move in with April… well, after a fashion anyway. Please read, and do remember to review!_

_I have decided to only add a few bits about Raph and Donnie's life with April and Casey, because writing every single story that pops into my head just isn't a viable option and would take forever. So I will be posting all those little stories in a separate little article Entitled 'Tale's of TMNT AU'. Again, if anyone can think of a proper name for this fic please let me know, I'm stumped!_

_Part 2: The Middle_

_1._

April O'Neil was twenty two, an orphan, he parents having died some three years ago while she was finishing university. She had been hired, almost straight from her university to work with The Baxter Stockman, the most well known man in technology there was in almost the whole world. She had helped him build and perfect the 'Mousers', small robots that could easily catch any rodent no matter where they were situated. It was something revolutionary to this city, and in the past year the city's rat problems had been cut down to a minimum.

However, the success of the machines did not excuse her from her work, which unfortunately consisted of spending hours running through the footage from the Mousers to ensure they were working efficiently. It was a boring job, and more than once she had fallen asleep watching them. Because aside from the occasional time when they came across a rat, it was just endless images of the sewer systems; which could only hold her attention for so long.

That was until she saw something that made her stop, frowning. There was no telling exactly when the footage had been taken; one's from a year ago had been mixed in with those from this very week. But what she saw gave her cause for concern. There was no sound, but the image was striking enough. The Mousers had attacked some children in the tunnels. What the children were doing in the sewers was strange enough, so the fact that they were wearing some kind of turtle costumes hardly fazed her, after all, children dressed up in the strangest things all the time. It was probably some new super hero or something they had been trying to play as.

But none of that mattered, what mattered was that the mousers had corned the children, and that was a worrying thought.

All this lead her into the sewers, though she couldn't, for love nor money, explain just why she had come down here. After all, it wasn't like the children were going to be here still, and the mousers had all been called in. But still she was down here now; disgusted by the smell of the place, and looking for something she didn't even fully realise she was looking for.

"Disgusting." she groaned as she was forced to take a step into the dirty looking water, looking around at the tunnel she was currently in. It looked identical to any other sewer tunnel and she hoped she didn't get lost down here. She was just about to take a step back up to the dry walkway that ran along either side of the sewer walls when she was barrelled into by something small and green and sent flying into the water behind her.

X

Racing round the corner, determined to stay ahead of Raph and safe, Donnie didn't notice he was heading straight for a human until he had knocked into it and been sent tumbling into the sewer water with it. But when he did realise he had knocked a human over, and was currently sitting on its stomach, staring into surprised eyes he did the only thing he could think off and yelled.

"Raphie!"

His brother was round the corner in an instant, speeding up at the terror that had bled into Donnie's voice and he froze when he saw the human. Shaking off the fear that gripped him, because this was the first time he had ever seen a real human, he immediately leapt over and grabbed Donnie, pulling him away from the human, and taking a defensive stance in front of his brother.

The human didn't make any move, just stared at them, for so long that Raph was beginning to feel nervous. Should they run? Should they fight? Suddenly the human began to laugh, which made Raph even more perplexed. Was this how it was supposed to go? Wasn't there supposed to be more humans, with weapons, and things to take them away in?

"Donnie, when I say, run." Raph whispered harshly.

He felt his brother's hesitation, but knew he would no matter what.

"No, no. Don't run… I'm sorry, please don't run!" The human said, smiling a little at them. "My name is April. What's your's?"

Raph frowned, staring at her in confusion. Was he supposed to answer? What had Master Splinter said about this? He felt Donnie plaster himself against his shell, one hand wrapping round his arm. He would let go immediately if he needed to, but for the moment the touch was needed.

X

April looked at the two children, forcing herself to refer to them as that instead of as Turtles, because it would only make her laugh again. Why was she laughing at the idea? It was just the mere fact that she had believed them to be children in costumes when she had watched the footage from the Mousers, had expected to find nothing down her. And yet, here she was, in the sewers, having found two children, two mutant turtle children.

If she didn't laugh she might have screamed.

And from the look in their eyes, that probably wouldn't have been a good idea. She waited to see if either of them would answer her. But when, after a long stretch of silence, she got nothing but confused and frightened looks she tried again, she knew they could understand her, they had spoken, of course they could understand her. Obviously it was just a case of reassuring them she would not hurt them. It seemed to be their first time meeting a human.

"I won't hurt you, I promise. Can't you tell me your names?" she asked gently, pushing herself out of the water.

The one in the red bandana tensed as she moved, shifting until he had hidden the other completely behind him. So she stopped moving when she had managed to get herself into a kneeling position and looked at them. Her heart softened completely at the sight of them, and all urge to laugh fled her, so did any part of her that had been freaked out by their appearance.

They were just scared children.

"Hey, come on. It's rude to ignore someone when they ask you a question." she said, conversationally, hoping to draw them into speaking.

The red banded one's frown deepened. "How do we know your not just lying to give the other humans time to get us?"

She smiled reassuringly at him. "I give you my word; there isn't anyone else but me down here."

"How do we know we can trust your word?" he demanded roughly.

She looked at him sadly; it was somehow heartbreaking to see that level of distrust on a child's face. But she could understand it; after all, they were mutated turtles, living in a sewer. Which begged the question, who had been looking after them. "Do you have any parents? A mum or a dad? Do they know your wandering round down here on your own?"

The look of sadness caught her totally off guard.

"The monsters got them." the one with the purple bandana whispered softly, arms tightening on the others.

"We don't know that!" the one in red hissed.

"It's been a year Raph." came the response.

April watched them, and felt a little guilty, because she could guess that the 'monsters' they were referring to were the Mousers. And that had been a year ago? They had been alone down here for a year? Well, that did it. She barely registered making the decision, but it was made. Now, how to convince two untrustworthy little mutants to go along with it.

"Would you like to come home with me?" she asked,

Raph (she was glad she had a name for one of them now) refocused all his attention on her and scowled. "Why would we do that, human?"

"Because it's not safe for two little kids to be wandering the sewers or to be living by themselves." she told him. "And I have a name, I'd prefer it if you used it. It's a bit strange being called 'human' all the time." she smiled a little.

Raph shook his head. "We've been doing just fine up till now, we'll be fine."

"Raph…"

"No Donnie!"

April filed the name away.

"But Raphie…"

"No! You know what Master Splinter said about humans. We're not to trust them! They'll lock us up in cages and we'll never get to see each other again!" Raph exploded, and April's heart hurt to hear such things from him, that he actually believed it. It sickened her to realise that it was probably true. If the wrong person had stumbled upon them, they might well have ended up in cages and experimented on. How could she convince them that she would do none of those things? Leaving them there was not an option anymore, and the thought did not even enter her mind. They were coming home with her.

She'd find some way to explain it to Casey later.

"What would it take for you to believe me?" she asked.

That question obviously stumped Raph; she could read it in his uncertain shifting from foot to foot. She looked at him directly; he was the one she needed to convince.

Donnie had inched out from behind Raph, though he kept a good grip on his brother's arm to look at her more closely. "Where do you live?" he asked quietly, ignoring the hissed warning from Raph.

She smiled at him. "I live about two or three blocks from here. I think. It's a big building me and my family used to live in before my mum and dad died. We even have a shop there as well."

"Your family is dead?" Donnie asked. "We don't know what happened to ours. Our father and brothers got separated from us when the monsters came, and we haven't been able to find them. But Master Splinter should have found us by now…" he shrugged helplessly. "I don't want them to be dead. But they should have found us by now…" He looked about ready to start crying.

She wanted to hug him then, but Raph had already turned slightly, still watching her suspiciously, but he wrapped his arms around Donnie. "You really won't hurt us? Or give us to someone who will?" he asked her, eyes wise beyond their years.

"I promise." she said sincerely.

"And say we did agree to go with you. Where would we stay, and what would we be supposed to do?"

"You'd stay with me. There's plenty of room in my building. And as for what you would have to do, aside from not wander about the streets by yourselves in case anyone might see you, and maybe a few chores round the house, I would say all you'd have to do is be yourself and be a kid." In the back of her head she knew she would have to redefine some of those things, but that part of herself could be left until later, when she finally realised just what she was doing and just what she had brought down upon herself.

He seemed genuinely surprised by her answer, probably having expected a long list of things they would be forced to do to ensure their safety. "Wait here." he said finally, stepping away from his brother, grasping his hand and pulling him round the corner. She got to her feet and out of the water and waited for their return.

Because they were coming home with her.

There was no doubt in her mind.

X

Their conversation had been fast, and somewhat furious, Raph becoming more and more angry as he talked. Until Donnie had looked down and away, whispering. "I trust her." Raph could see he was waiting for him to explode all over again. And he hated seeing that his brother was afraid of him. Donnie hardly acted like he used to, Raph could remember when he would go on for hours about something he had read, or something he had made, or the best way to play a game, or do something. The way he always reminded them that they shouldn't be fighting, or messing about, or doing anything dangerous.

Now, instead of that old confidence, Donnie tended to whisper the words, never looking him in the eye. Falling silent even before he had launched into one of his rambling talks about nothing and everything. It was like he didn't know how Raph would react, and Raph could not work out why.

He wanted to protest, tell Donnie that they needed to pack up and move nests again and soon. But an old lesson of Master Splinter's reared its head. He needed to trust his brother, and looking at the dejected slump of Donnie's shoulders he could tell his brother expected him to disagree and be done with it.

To be honest he could understand why Donnie would want to trust her. After al they were only nine years old, and they both craved some kind of parental figure, someone who could look after them. Raph knew he wasn't doing enough to look after Donnie, he was trying his hardest, but he knew it wasn't enough.

Heaving a sigh he looked again at Donnie. "Fine… let's go get some clothes if we're going. We can't go topside like this."

Donnie looked at him in complete shock, before breaking into a happy, grateful smile, and Raph's stomach twisted. He didn't know whether to be happy he'd brought that smile out or sad. It was like a sign, showing him just how bad he had been managing, if Donnie was so willing to trust a human. He vowed to work harder at taking care of his brother.

Donnie was relieved, because if this worked out, and he believed it would. There was just something in the human--Aprils-- eyes that told him she was telling the truth and he should trust her. But if it did work out then it would mean that Raph wouldn't have to try so hard anymore. Donnie hated to see his brother work so hard trying to provide for them while he stood on the sideline's uselessly.

This would be a new beginning.

2.

Getting the two turtles settled in the big empty building her parents had bought and paid for was surprisingly easy. Donnie seemed to trust her, though he never once left Raph's side to take a look around, or move any closer to her. But he asked questions. She noticed that Raph was watching her with a mix of suspicion and sorrow in his eyes, and she wasn't sure how to deal with that. She had left them in the living room watching the TV, their eyes wide with amazement. They'd never seen one before. It finally hit her when she was pulling out clean blankets and spare pillows just what she was getting herself into.

Taking in homeless children was one thing, but these were mutant turtles…

The sudden appearance of her boyfriend, Casey Jones, could have gone better. She had heard the front door open, and then the noise as both he and the turtle reacted to each other. She was out of her bedroom in an instant to find Casey standing stock still by the door, glaring at Raph, who stood on the opposite side of the room by the kitchen, Donnie behind him, glaring right back.

She had smoothed things over as much as she could, introducing them properly. And the evening passed a lot better than she had thought it would. The two turtles were quiet, and Raph still looked at them suspiciously, but a little after midnight Raph fell asleep, Donnie having given up much earlier and nestled down into Raph. April had covered them with a blanket.

She and Casey had talked then, properly. But he was surprisingly easy to win over, kissing her to stop her rambling, he said. "That red one reminds me of me when I was a kid, and the purple one's sorta cute in a mutant green turtle kind of a way."

"So this is ok?" she asked him softly.

"Reckon it prob'ly is." he shrugged.

3.

Months had passed, and Raph's suspicions, no matter how much he had tried to hold onto them, had faded. The two humans were honest, he could see that, Casey more bluntly than April definitely, but Raph found he liked that. In the beginning he and Casey had reached an understanding, in that he didn't trust him, and Casey was ok with that. But it had somehow developed without Raph even realising, until he and Casey sat together and talked about the sports shows on TV, or about the motorcycles in some of Casey's magazines, to where he had stopped waiting for more humans to arrive every time Casey or April left the apartment.

He still kept a very close eye on Donnie, refusing to let him out of his site for longer than five minutes at a time. He knew Donnie was the same, because whenever he came back downstairs from the apartment upstairs Casey and April were redoing to make a bigger place for them, and Donnie hadn't been with him, or hadn't realised he'd gone, he would be treated to a quick hug, and then Donnie followed him round for the remainder of the day.

Even though April had gotten them bunk beds they still chose to sleep together, it was comfort and not much else. The need to know the other was right there.

April had been amazed by Donnie when he had fixed some little things in her kitchen, and Raph had been quite proud of his little brother then. She had started teaching him how to work her computer, and build some simple electronics from the ground up, she had been further surprised when she found he could build almost anything with only spare parts.

They were settling in a lot faster than Raph had ever thought possible, and instead of feeling resentment for that he found he quite liked it. Not that he would tell April or Casey, or even Donnie that.

It was nearing Christmas now. Donnie had mentioned that they should probably get something for April and Casey for taking them in and looking after them. Raph had snorted, but all that had gotten him was Donnie lapsing into silence and looking away. Mentally slapping himself he had told Donnie that he was right, they should. But how? It wasn't like they could wander the streets, go into shops, and even if they could, they had no money.

Surprisingly it was Casey who had, even though he hadn't known of their idea, come up with a plan. In the months they had known him Raph and Donnie had seen him only as April's Boyfriend, who they knew went out most nights to take care of the criminal element of the city. They knew he was a bit of a bonehead who broke more things than anyone else. But as Christmas approached he had taken to wearing a Santa hat and carting around decorations, enough to cover the whole building, and maybe half the block as well. Singing Christmas songs as he went.

The two turtles had watched him in awe, their own Christmas's (though they tried not to think back to when their family had still been there) had been small affairs, with a limited amount of decorations and one present each. To them this level of preparation was amazing to behold.

Casey had caught them staring, and ignoring the fact that Raph immediately moved in front of Donnie, despite the fact that he knew Casey would not hurt them, he had suggested that maybe they could all go out Christmas shopping. April had protested, stating it wouldn't be safe for them, and she had become far too fond of them to let anything happen to them if they were to go out. But Casey had won her round, in a surprisingly logical fashion for one Casey Jones.

No one would be able to see what they were under the coats, scarves and hats they would be wearing anyway, and it wasn't everyday they would get to see New York in all it's Christmas finery. Besides, how were they going to know what to get them for Christmas if they didn't let them see what the cities toy stores had to offer?

Finally April had agreed.

The four of them set out for a whole day of Christmas shopping, April and Casey walking behind the turtles, who were bundled up in a red and purple jacket respectively, trousers, boots (that had been an interesting conversation), and black and white (again respectively) scarves and hats. They held hands, because they didn't want to lose each other in the crowd.

It was in a mall, a huge place, covered in decorations, with hundreds of shops. Raph and Donnie stared wide eyed at the huge number of things on display, pressing their faces against the glass to see closer. It was at a jewellery shop that Casey squatted down beside the turtles and whispered. "Any idea's on what we can get April for Christmas?"

Donnie turned worried eyes to him. "Um…"

"We can't get her anything." Raph muttered. "We don't have any money."

Casey smiled, a goofy smile he reserved for when he was really enjoying himself. "I know that. That's why I said 'we'. You guys can help me choose it, because I'm awful at picking presents, and I always get her the wrong thing. So if you guys pick it, and I buy it, then it'll be a present from all three of us. What dya say?"

Raph looked at Donnie, who nodded just slightly, shyly. It made sense.

Casey clapped both their shoulders, making them stagger a bit, before getting back to his feet. "Great! Come on guys."

In the end they chose a pair of earrings, not nearly as expensive as Donnie seemed to be worried about, but they were very pretty.

April gave them the chance to get something for Casey. Something for the motorcycle he was rebuilding. And both humans watched very carefully in the toy store they had gone to to see what the turtles looked at the most.

All in all, this Christmas had gone a lot better than last years. There was a definite sadness when Raph and Donnie remembered their father and brothers, and that had persisted for a number of days before Christmas day. April watched them sadly, knowing it had to do with the family they thought was dead. They never spoke of it, at least not to April and Casey, and stayed closer to each other. But they brightened on Christmas day when they saw the presents they had received, and they spent the whole day distracted by the toys and games they had received.

4.

"You guys know how to fight?" Casey asked, completely out of blue on day.

Raph, who had been sitting on the couch beside him watching the football, turned to him with a frown. "Yeah." he said. They had been here six months now; there was no more suspicion in his tone anymore, just some exasperation, because Casey always came out with the most random of things.

"Really?" Casey seemed surprised.

Raph rolled his eyes, though he supposed he should have been surprised Casey didn't know. He always did his practices early in the morning before breakfast while he waited for Donnie to wake up, he could leave the bed now but not the room before Donnie was aware in the mornings, he knew Donnie still had nightmares, and waking up alone tended to spur them on and Donnie would be clingy for weeks. Not that Raph really minded, he sort of enjoyed Donnie shadowing him everywhere, he felt like a proper big brother then. But he didn't like Donnie having the nightmares. It wasn't fair to him.

"Yeah." he responded to Casey's question.

"What about Donnie boy?" Casey persisted.

Raph frowned, Donnie didn't practice, at least not where he had ever seen him. He sometime's joined in on a 'kata', but only very rarely. "…yeah."

Casey's eyebrows furrowed and his face settled into his worried look. "That don't sound too good."

Raph sighed. "Why?"

Casey shrugged, but he looked serious enough. "Was just thinking is all. I mean, you guys are gonna get bigger, and older. And I figured it would probably be a good idea if you knew how to defend yourselves incase, ya know, anything ever happened to me or April, or something. Not that anything will--" he hastened to add, seeing the well guarded fear enter Raph's eyes at that. But Casey wasn't known for his tact, he knew they had lost their family over a year ago, and here he was talking about something happening to him and April. "But, ya know, just so you'd be prepared."

Raph looked down and away. "Master Splinter was teaching us Ninjitsu… how to be a ninja."

"Like proper martial arts stuff? Cool."

"Yeah…" Raph looked back up at Casey, his jaw set. "But I don't know enough to be a real ninja. An' I can't protect Donnie with what I do know. Not really." it was about as far as he was going to go in asking for help.

Casey nodded in understanding; he had meant it when he'd told April that Raph reminded him of himself as a kid. "I'll teach ya some moves. And maybe when you're old enough we can go out and bust some heads together. Make the city a little safer for Donnie and April, huh?"

Raph smiled gratefully, glad Casey understood. "Sure. Now shut up, yer making me miss the game."

Casey laughed, but went back to watching the game with him.

5.

When Raph and Donnie turned fourteen, Raph had gone out with Casey for the first time. He had promised Donnie he would come back, but Donnie still stayed up most of the night waiting for his return, unable to sleep without knowing his brother was safe. Idly working on his new computer. He was listening carefully for the door.

When he did hear it he was out of his computer seat, out of his room and down the stairs in an instant, throwing his arms around Raph as soon as he reached him. It took a moment for embarrassment to seep in and he pulled back, looking sheepishly at his big brother, who he found was smiling at him foolishly, though there was a warm hint to his eyes that told him Raph was going to let him get away with the hug.

Casey was smiling like a crazy person behind Raph.

"So?" Donnie asked finally.

Raph grinned. "It was great!"

"He's a natural." Casey added with a proud grin of his own.

"We really kicked some Purple Dragon butt." Raph added.

Donnie couldn't understand what was so fascinating about hurting others, even Purple Dragons (who Casey had explained were the root of all evil on the streets), but he accepted it as just being his brothers way, like Raph accepted his obsession with electronics. Raph had been looking forward to this day for years, and knowing how his brother had reigned in his tendency to explode around him, knowing it upset him, he couldn't begrudge Raph the time he needed to get rid of his frustrations. He had been dragged into enough self-defence lessons to know how much Raph enjoyed fighting.

"Right, bed you two or I'm gonna have April chewing my butt off for keeping you up all night." Casey said, hustling them forward.

Donnie turned, and rather impulsively hugged Casey too, before letting go and latching onto Raph's arm to pull him towards the stairs and to their bedrooms.

Casey smiled to himself as he locked up and made his way to his and April's room. It wasn't often that anyone other than Raph was treated to a Donnie hug, and when you were, it shared a wealth of emotion and you knew exactly why you were getting one.

6.

They were sixteen now, and had spent seven years with April and Casey, and it had been good. Raph had just been presented with a motorcycle that Casey and Don had been working on for months. Don had been given his very own lab, so that little bits of dangerous things would no longer be left hanging round his room. Raph and Casey had done most of the heavy lifting and decorating, while April set up the numerous little things Don had collected over the years.

It had been a good birthday.

It had become a birthday tradition for Don to make his way into Raph's room (when they had started sleeping in separate rooms) and into Raph's bed where they would just lie there and talk softly, about their brothers, Master Splinter. What it would have been like had they been here. What Leo and Mikey would be like now. What they would have gotten them for presents.

They normally talked all night. It was the one time they could talk freely about it, the rest of the year they tried not to think about it too much. Though Christmas tended to turn out much the same way as birthdays, with them sharing a bed and talking long into the night about the family they had lost.

And the one they had gained.

In the last seven years April and Casey had become their family, it was hard to say if they were like parents, or older siblings, or even like aunts and uncles. They just were.

While they talked, quietly, snuggling together in a way that they should have grown out of years ago, and had (kind of), except for special occasions. Neither could even begin to guess what the year ahead of them had in store. Or just what… Or who, they would find.

_Hehe… don't kill me. This chapter refused to write it self correctly, it's evil. First April wouldn't stop hogging the first part, then the settling in process was awkward. Probably still is. And I had such big ideas for this chapter --sob-- Anyway, like I mentioned at the beginning, any little stories on their time with April and Casey will be posted in a separate article thing._

_Please Review!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey-low! I have returned. My project is finished; I passed, so I'm writing this while I waste time before I have to go tutoring. Now we have the moment of truth… What would happen if the two sets of brothers met up once again? Just how has their time apart changed them? This should be interesting. _

_I would like to apologise in advance. I wrote most of this while travelling on a bus, so it's not very good. But I just really wanted to get it posted before I go home and have to fight for internet time._

**1.**

"Yo, Donnie, why we here again?" Raph asked, sounding appropriately bored for a night spent sitting on junk waiting for his little brother to find… whatever it was he was looking for.

Don looked up from where he was rooting through some scrap metal and smiled. "Looking for stuff." He responded.

Raph rolled his eyes. "I know that Brainiac. But why ya gotta do it tonight?"

Don paused for a second, shooting his brother a look. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to, Raphie."

That 'Raphie' cinched it. Not that Raph had ever had any intention of leaving his little brother alone in the junkyard. He heaved a sigh, more for effect than meaning. "So, seriously, what are ya looking for?-And I know it's something for that thing your building for Grams, but what is it?"

"It isn't something I can exactly describe Raph. It's more of an 'I'll know it when I see it' kind of thing." Don explained, causing the pile of junk to sway as he searched for this elusive part.

Raph, who had been about to get up to aid the search, slumped back. "We'll be here all night!" he sighed explosively. Inwardly he was glad when Don ignored his words. Two years ago, after he had started going out on the streets with Casey to 'bust some heads'; April had finally given in and allowed them to go out by themselves on some evenings.

They tended to always either end up at the cinema, depending on what films were showing, or at the junkyard. Back then Don had suddenly developed another blasted insecurity around him which Raph couldn't understand. Everything was always fine when they were home, but the second they went out for the night Don changed. It was like back when they had been on their own for that year, when Don didn't question anything, or gave in without an argument even though it was obvious he wanted to.

Raph didn't enjoy having to think through what he said, he never had, he said what he thought. He didn't always mean it in quite the way it was sometimes taken, but Don had really closed up then, so Raph had kept a tight hold of the things he said. Finally Don seemed to get over it, but it left Raph wondering just what was up with his little brother.

A sudden noise alerted him to the fact someone else was in the junkyard. Shifting over a few paces until he could see the entrance, he bit back a curse. "Donnie." He called softly, pulling a hockey stick from over his shoulder and tossing it towards his brother. It was the only on of Casey's sport weapons he would handle. Raph pulled out his baseball bat, cleverly hidden beneath the leather jacket he wore.

Don caught the stick with a practiced hand. Raph and Casey, after seeing he had a sort of natural talent for wielding it like a weapon, had pushed him hard to learn to protect himself with it. He moved silently to stand beside his brother.

"Purple Dragons." Raph hissed out.

"Should I call Casey?" Don asked worriedly, he always tried to avoid any confrontation with any street gangs when he came out.

Raph hesitated for a moment, considering, glancing back out to see the numbers. Finally he nodded. "Give Case the heads up. We'll head for the 'bike. He can meet us and you can take my 'bike back home."

Don nodded, already on the phone and dialling.

"Well if it ain't the freaks in the costumes!"

Don dodged the attack that came from behind, dropping the phone in his haste to move, bringing the stick round to block the downward arc of a metal pipe. Secretly glad when the stick did not shatter on impact, Don dropped low and kicked out, knocking his attacker back on his butt. He didn't need to call out Raphs' name to know his brother had his back, he could hear the growls, and the heavy thud as the bat hit its mark.

Raph growled angrily. They were surrounded, already. If he had been with Casey this would have been fine. They could take this bunch out no problem. But Raph didn't have to worry about Casey taking care of himself. And though he knew Don was totally capable of defending himself, he couldn't just shut down the part of him that tensed when his little brother was in danger. His mind was already planning how to get Don out of this mess and to the bike.

He would have to go back to the house with him of course; Don would never just leave him here, no matter how many promises he made to come back. But he could always convince Casey to come out with him to get a little revenge. No one put his brother in danger and went unpunished.

But how to get to the 'bike? That was the fifty thousand dollar question.

x

Master Splinter had fallen ill a few days ago, not terribly ill, just enough that it knocked him on his back for a week or so. He had reassured his sons many times that he would be fine in a matter of days. That it was just a simple bug. His falling ill meant that it was up to Leo and Mike to go above ground and find food. In the last few years Master Splinter had allowed them to join him on his scavenging hunts. They travelled together, sticking to the shadows, never revealing themselves to the humans.

While it was a rare occasion to go above ground, it was even rarer for Leo and Mike to go alone. They understood their father's reasons. He could not bear to lose anymore sons, and they bowed to his wishes. Besides which, neither had a huge interest in the humans above, they couldn't possibly be any good if they could send those metal monsters into the sewers to kill anything they could. Mike had had nightmares for years about those monsters, and what had happened to their brothers. Leo had too, if truth was told, but he avoided letting Mike know. His baby brother looked up to him, scarily like he did those heroes in the comics they sometimes found.

Mike had amassed a huge collection of these comics, all of them about heroes, saving the world. Leo had tried to explain that there couldn't possibly be real superheroes. It just wasn't possible. After all, Master Splinter had never mentioned anything about them, so they couldn't be real. Mike had retorted that they were mutated turtles who could do ninjitsu, so why couldn't there be superhero's.

Mike, while not really being interested in humans, had found himself fascinated by some of the things he saw in the comics, he had fashioned a skateboard for himself, and had taught himself some of the moves that were frozen on the pages he read. Leo watched all this in amusement.

Training was a regular activity in the Lair, with little else to amuse themselves with except books and comics; the psychical release offered through training was a huge factor in their lives. After all, it wasn't like they could just wander off whenever they felt like it. Life had been hard for them, it still was, and it most likely always would be, but they managed with what they had.

Prank wars between Mike and Leo were a common event in the Lair, sometimes ranging on for months, each trying to get the better of the other. Mike usually won, but only because he could make up the best pranks, Leo would have won every time if it have of been based on stealth. Mike never knew where the next trap was hidden.

There were still moments of sadness, when they remembered the brothers they had lost. And they wondered what things might have been like if they had survived. If Raph would be as strong as he always claimed he would be, if Donnie would have invented something, like he always said he would, that would make life better for them.

But moments of remembrance had no place in scavenging duty. Yes, they had to keep a close eye out for humans, and avoid being seen. But sometimes they found the most interesting things in the places they looked.

Neither could have been prepared for the night that awaited them.

2.

The journey to the junkyard was their first point of call, from there it was easy to get to the places they normally found their food. But as they neared the yard they heard the sounds of a fight. Fights were not uncommon, and they had seen their fair share of them while out scavenging. They rarely went into the junkyard itself, tending to just take one of the branches of the sewers off to either side.

Mike stopped and looked out the grating that lead directly into the junkyard, curious in the manner of someone taking a look in a shop window… and then freezing when he saw something interesting.

"Leo!" he yelped, grabbing for his brother who had moved a few paces down the connecting sewer to the right.

"I don't want to see another fight Mikey. Come on. You're not going to see a hero out there you know." Leo responded, his tone serious.

"No, Leo! Seriously, look!" Mikey yanked him back and forced him to turn, to look out at the fight.

Shooting a glare at his brother, Leo looked out, in hopes that in doing so Mike would stop being stupid and come with him. They didn't have time for this. But what he saw froze him to the spot. "No!" he gasped, managing a step back. "It can't… It can't be…"

"But it is." Mike said, deadly serious. "So? We walk away now?"

Leo looked back out, just to confirm what he thought he saw in a fact. "No way. Get ready to move Mikey." He had lost them once; he would not lose them again.

Mike grinned, pulling his nun chucks from his belt. "Ready and willing Leo!"

X

Raph couldn't understand why the purple Dragons suddenly seemed distracted, but he took full advantage of it, and started to herd Don towards the 'bike. Lashing out with the bat as he moved and making sure that anyone with a deadly weapon was kept away from Donnie.

"You have some kind of escape plan right?" came an unfamiliar yet familiar voice to his left. Despite his surprise his fighting didn't falter, though when he looked left he did falter. His shock was short lived however when he realised Donnie was having trouble with the gang members in front.

"I gotta plan." he grunted, smashing in one of the gangs faces. "Gotta 'bike over by the fence. Think ya can follow it without this lot chasing ya?" A grin was his only reply. Raph turned his full attention t Donnie. "Bro, make a break for the 'bike!"

"-But--"

He should have known Donnie would have spotted them and wouldn't want to leave. He didn't have time for this. "They're gonna follow us Donnie. Just go!"

Donnie nodded, and with a final swipe of the stick he cleared a path and legged it towards the fence. Jumping up and catching the top, there was a little fumbling, but he was over and grabbing his helmet. Raph landed beside him with a distinct thump, yanking on his own helmet and swinging his leg over the 'bike.

"Donnie!" he snapped.

Donnie was looking back at the still raging fight. "We can't leave them… We can't Raphie!"

"Donnie get on the damn 'bike!" Raph growled.

"Raphie!" Donnie snapped right back. "We can't--"

"Hey, you guys going to join us or should we just wait for the stupid humans to realise we've gone?" A wide grin flashed from above them.

"Go, we'll follow on the roofs."

Raph nodded, and felt Donnie settle on behind him. The brush of his jumper sleeves as he grabbed a tight hold of him in preparation of the ride that would follow. Raph gunned the engine and took off with a roar. Too fast for the Purple Dragons to realise they were fighting each other, stop and give chase.

Half an hour later they screeched to a halt outside April's building. Ripping off his helmet Donnie gazed upwards, waiting anxiously to see the shadows on the roof looking down at them. A few tense minutes later he saw a shadow looking down from above and he hopped off the 'bike and ran to the fire escape. "Come on Raphie!" he called gleefully, bounding up the metal steps quickly.

Raph looked up at the roof, and then at his brother scrambling up the fire escape. He was confused as to why he didn't feel the absolute happiness Donnie was feeling. Why didn't he ant to run up there, greet them. Why was resentment starting to creep into his thoughts.

"Raphie!" Donnie called back down, startling him and making him move. He caught up to Donnie quickly enough, and the two climbed onto the roof together.

Once there Donnie practically few across the rooftop and grabbed the first turtle he came to, who just happened to be Mike, into a hug. One Mikey returned with equal fervour. 2We thought you were dead!" Don whispered, tightening his arms. "We thought that was why you never found us!"

Leo and Raph just looked at each other, neither really sure how to approach each other, wishing it was as easy as Donnie and Mikey made it look.

Donnie pulled away first, leaving Mikey to throw himself at Leo. Mikey had done similar with Raph. They both knew this was not the time for typical teenage behaviour their brothers exhibited. Hugging was not a sign of weakness, not now.

"Master Splinter?" Raph finally asked.

Leo smiled. "Alive, he's at the Lair."

Raph waited for Mikey to pull away before he let the anger that was building inside him, surge into his tone. "So if you're alive, and Master Splinter is alive. Why the hell didn't you come find us?" Raph demanded.

Donnie pulled away from Leo to look at his brother. "Raphie…" he whispered, moving back a step.

"We looked." Leo said quietly. "The tunnel you went down was destroyed by those monsters. Master Splinter had to find another way into the tunnels you were in. but we couldn't find you."

"We stayed in the same damn place waiting for you to come and get us! Hell, we lasted a year down there. Hoping you'd find us before something happened. A Year! The sewers ain't that big. How could you not find us?!" Raph exploded angrily, directing it at Leo, almost as if he blamed him completely.

"Raph…" Donnie went to his brother's side.

"No Donnie!" Raph snapped, shaking off his brother's touch.

Donnie stumbled back a step. "Raphie stop! This isn't the time--we just found them again. Please…"

Raph forcibly gentled his expression and looked at Donnie. "When is the right time then?" is words were still harsh, biting, he couldn't hold back the bitterness. "We just sweep this under the rug? Dammit Donnie, you remember that year! You remember what it was like!"

Donnie hesitated for a moment. He did remember. He still had the occasional nightmare over the whole thing, even after seven years. He reached out again, glad when Raph let him hug him loosely. "I remember. But Raphie please… We have our brothers back. Don't fight!"

Raph blew out a long sigh, and all his anger receded to a simmer as he looked over to Leo and Mikey. Mikey had retreated over to Leo and was watching them worriedly, as was Leo, only he was doing it a lot less obviously. Glancing back at Donnie's pleading expression he sighed again and said, holding out his arm to beckon with.

"Come on then. You're standing too far away for a reunion."

3.

"You like with humans?" Leo asked when each set of brothers had finished their short reunion, sounding rather dubious, looking at the doorway that lead down from the roof.

"Yes." was Raph's reply.

"April and Casey are really nice. They looked after us for the past seven years. You'll like them, honestly!" Donnie grinned. "Beside's, if we want to go see Master Splinter we'll have to tell April or she'll worry about us. She doesn't like us to go out too often by ourselves. You know, incase something happens. Though I'm sure she won't mind us going to see Master Splinter, seeing as you guys are our family. But it wouldn't be right to make her worry! Oh, and I can show you my Lab! It's the coolest thing. Raph, Casey and April made it for me for my birthday! And--!"

"You're babbling Brainac." Raph told him, swatting him playfully on the back of the head.

Donnie's skin darkened in a blush and he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm just really excited." he said.

"So they're nice?" Mikey said uncertainty. "Will they mind us just dropping in like this?" he shifted closer to Donnie, in need of the physical contact, afraid his brother would disappear if he took his eyes off him for more than a second. Don seemed to understand, because he gripped Mikey's arm, locking elbows in a hold he had developed after Raph had decided handholding was too childish, though Don was not yet ready to give up that small comfort.

"They won't mind." Raph answered.

Don pulled Mikey with him in the door and down the stairs.

"Is he always this hyper?" Leo asked quietly.

Raph looked at Leo sideways. "It's kinda like he swapped personalities with Mikey from when we were kid's, ain't it?" there was a question there that was not the one being asked.

Leo smiled, answering the unspoken one. "Mikey's still the same. Mostly. Without you guys though, he's gotten quieter, and more serious I guess. He still plays the best pranks though."

Raph nodded slightly, a smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah? Donnie got real quiet for a long time. But after April found us… well, he's just--you know, Donnie. He can still build things from scrap, and mosta what he says still goes way over my head…" he trailed off and shrugged.

Leo took the plunge and reached over, giving Raph a short half hug, which Raph returned easily enough.

"Gonna be weird not being the oldest anymore." he admitted softly.

Leo chuckled. "Gonna be weird having three little brothers again. Mikey's bad enough on his own."

Raph grinned.

"Guys?" Mikey called back up.

"Coming Mike!" Leo called back.

Leo and Raph descended the step, their hearts lighter that they had been in years.

X

"APRIL! CASEY!"

Don's voice floated down from the upstairs rooms of the apartment, sounding excited.

April smiled to herself, assuming he had just found the part he had gone in search of. He had been obsessing over whatever it was he was building for Casey's mom's birthday for weeks now. What neither of them expected was for their unofficial youngest son to come down the stairs towing a turtle behind him who was most definitely not Raph.

For one thing he was practically naked, wearing only knee pads, elbow pads, a belt and an orange mask. (Seeing a unclothed turtle as no longer a common sight anymore) And Raph would most definitely never wear that particular colour, nor smile that particularly uncertain smile.

"Uh… Hi?"

"Donnie?" April breathed in confused.

"Where's Raph?" Casey asked.

"Right here Case." Raph replied, leading a fourth turtle, dressed (or undressed) similarly to the orange masked one, only this one's mask was blue.

"Thank you for looking after our brothers." the blue masked one said solemnly, bowing low in respect.

"Uh, guys, didn't you say yer bro's were dead?" Casey asked.

Donnie was grinning like he had when he had gotten his first computer, and like when he had seen his lab for the first time. "We thought so too! But they're not! And neither is Master Splinter!"

"That's wonderful." April said, feeling her heart sink a little. "When did you--?"

"Just tonight. See, we were ion the junkyard, and some Purple Dragons attacked us and--" Don's retelling was abruptly cut off by a very stern.

"Raph!" from Casey.

"Hey, we were gonna call you. They got the drop on us first." Raph protested. It was Casey's only rule… well, the only rule he enforced. They were to call him if there was any trouble, especially of the Purple Dragon variety.

Casey made a 'Hmpf' sound of disbelief, crossing his arms and settling back.

"Oh no! I left my Shell Cell! It's probably ruined! I'm going to have to build a new one now!" Don bemoaned, before his eyes lit up and he tightened his grip on Mikey, turning to him. "Hey, I can make you guys one too--that way we can call each other whenever we want to!"

Mikey smiled back, bewildered.

"Ok, so you ran into some trouble. Then what?" April interrupted, brining the conversation back on track.

"Oh yes." Don coloured again. "Sorry. Anyway, we were fighting, and then Leo and Mikey just appeared. We managed to get to Raph's 'bike and we took of. Leo and Mikey followed. We just had kind of a reunion on the roof just now." he paused for a moment. "We were kind of wondering if we could go see Master Splinter?"

There was hopefulness in his voice that made April want to scream 'NO!'. But she couldn't. And she knew that. But why did it feel like she was losing them?

Suddenly Leo spoke, he could see the emotions in her eyes, and though his experience of humans was small he could tell what she was thinking. "Maybe you would like to come with us? I know Master Splinter will want to thank you personally."

April found herself nodding. Donnie was giving her his best pleading face, which Mikey was copying, and managing to make even more potent. Even Raph was looking expectant. "All right, fine. Where do we go?"

Raph glanced at Leo before grinning. "The sewers."

April groaned. "Wonderful.

4.

"Master Splinter!" Mikey practically screamed, forgetting momentarily that his father was ill in his excitement. Dragging Don along with him.

Splinter, startled by the sudden noise, rolled off his thin mattress and to his feet. Quickly moving to the doorway to look out into the main part of the lair. He froze in surprise.

Beside his son stood another turtle, easily recognisable as such, despite the attempt at disguise using human clothing. The long sleeved purple jumper that covered the three fingered hands, the jeans and boots could not truly hide what it was. And he knew instantly who this was.

"Donatello?" he whispered.

"Sensei!" Mikey grinned. "We found them! Both f them! Leo and Raph are helping the humans out of the sewer! That's where they've been all this time!"

The only word Splinter truly picked up out of this was 'human' and that put him on instant high alert. "Humans? Where?" he demanded to know.

"They're friends father." Leo said, entering, followed by Raph, who, Splinter noted absently, was also dressed in human clothing, a leather jacket, red t-shirt, black jeans and boots. "They looked after Raph and Donnie for the past seven years."

Splinter chose to trust his son's words and turned his attention to Donatello, who seemed frozen, staring at him, wide eyed. Like the child he had once been.

"Yo, ya never told us yer dad was a rat!" Casey said, tactful as ever, earning himself a slap upside the head from April, and a muttered 'That's my father yer talking about!' from Raph, complete with growl.

Donatello continued to stare, until finally he worked up the words. "Master… Father…?"

Splinter looked at his lost son and smiled, holding out his arms. "My son."

Donatello was in his arms in an instant. The floodgates burst and he began to sob uncontrollably. Raph, unable to stand by while his brother cried, and secretly wanting to get closer to Splinter himself moved forward, manfully holding back his own tears as he approached. Splinter disengaged one arm from around Donnie and held it out in welcome.

"Raphael."

Raphael was on his knees and embracing his father before he had time to think. Leo and Mikey crowding round behind.

It was not an ending, but a beginning.

_Please don't be angry. I did warn you it was rubbish. But it's the best I can do at the moment. The story is not finished. After all, I haven't even mentioned shredder yet. And other things are going to happen eventually. But this is all you're going to be getting for a while. And I'm sorry about the rubbish ending too._

_Review Anyway please._


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